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Tech NewsGadgetsMatrix’s Body Heat-Powered Watch Finally Adds Useful Smart Features
One of the biggest gripes with smartwatches is battery life. That’s what made the original Matrix PowerWatch and its successor, the PowerWatch X, compelling—a fitness-oriented smartwatch fully powered by the heat generated from your own body? It was an intriguing concept to say the least, even if we found the PowerWatch X less than stellar … Continued
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Tech NewsStudy: Mysterious Sound Recorded by Sickened Cuba Embassy Staff Was Just Crickets
Since 2017, the baffling case of U.S. diplomatic staff in Cuba and elsewhere who developed symptoms resembling brain trauma after allegedly hearing strange noises (sometimes called “Havana syndrome”) have spawned plenty of theories of varying plausibility: A “covert sonic device,” malfunctioning spy gear, weaponized microwave radiation, poisoning, and even psychogenic illness. In the latest twist, … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsGadgetsHP’s Newest Chromebooks Are Priced Just Right
As the kids who started out using Chromebooks grow up, the kinds of systems running Chrome OS need to evolve too. So in order to please the increasing number of people who want something more sophisticated out of a modern-day netbook without abandoning the platform’s budget-conscious roots, HP brought the new moderately priced Chromebook x360 … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Acer’s Chromebook 315 Is a Lot of Laptop for Just $280
If the only thing you care about is finding the most laptop for your money, Acer’s new Chromebook 315 might be exactly what you need. Equipped with a 15.6-inch screen, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and an AMD A4-9120C CPU (a first for a Chromebook), the Chromebook 315’s specs aren’t exactly going to have … Continued
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Tech News
This Kettle Promises to Instantly Heat Water to the Perfect Temperature as You Pour
A watched pot might never boil, but if you blink, you’ll miss Heatworks’ new Duo carafe working its magic. Using the company’s proprietary heating technology, the carafe promises to instantly heat cold water to any temperature while it’s being poured, drastically reducing the amount of energy it uses, and all but eliminating the wait for … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple Addresses iPad Pro ‘Bend’ Drama With Support Page Outlining Manufacturing Process
Reports of ever-so-slightly bent 2018 iPad Pros surfaced shortly after their release, with some users claiming that they’d received the product bent straight out of the box. In response to those reports, Apple claimed in December that the issue resulted from the cooling process involved with some of its components and suggested to the Verge … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
The FBI Is Looking Into a Mike Pence Poseur That Texted Republican Members of Congress
The FBI is investigating an incident where someone posing as Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Alyssa Farah, contacted Republican members of the House of Representatives and tried to extract information on their whereabouts and “availability for meetings,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. One GOP rep even engaged with the fake Pence aide … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Phishing Scam Reportedly Looks Alarmingly Like the Real Deal
As phishing scams become increasingly sophisticated and better able to mirror the brands they’re impersonating, it can be difficult for an informed recipient to spot some of the telltale signs of fraud. A new report suggests scammers have found a way to manipulate even caller IDs to appear similar to that of Apple support. Security … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsNews
Juul’s $13 Billion Deal With Marlboro Maker Isn’t Sitting Well With the FDA
Juul may be sitting pretty following its $12.8 billion deal with big tobacco giant Altria, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not amused. After accusing unnamed e-cigarette makers last month of “backing away from commitments made to the FDA and the public” to reduce the use of such products among teens, FDA … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Lawsuit Accuses Weather Channel App of Misleading Users and Profiting From Their Location Data
More than a couple weather apps have recently come under fire for their handling of user data, either by collecting too much or allegedly tracking users without their permission. Now, the maker of yet another popular weather app is being accused by the city attorney of Los Angeles of deceiving millions of users and profiting … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
House Dems’ First Bill Would Dramatically Boost Election Security
The first bill introduced by House Democrats in the 116th Congress is a whopping 570-page election package offering considerable funding for state officials working to safeguard the vote. It would require intelligence community assessments ahead of all federal elections, to be accompanied by formal, public recommendations from multiple agencies, including the Homeland Security Department. But most … Continued
By Dell Cameron -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Marriott Unsure How Many Hundreds of Millions of Guests Got Screwed by Data Breach
While downsizing the estimate of how many guests were impacted by the historic breach of its hotel reservation system, Marriott International on Friday announced that roughly 5.25 million unencrypted passport numbers are now among the sensitive data illegally obtained by hackers unknown. Saying its initial count of 500 million victims was too high, the company … Continued
By Dell Cameron -
Tech NewsNews
Tesla Investors Want to Subpoena Grimes, Azealia Banks, and Gizmodo Over Elon Musk’s ‘420’ Tweet
Elon Musk’s lawyer is hoping to prevent Tesla shareholders from bringing the company CEO’s former romantic partner into a lawsuit related to his disastrous tweet about taking Tesla private. As Bloomberg first reported, Tesla investors want to subpoena musician Claire Elise Boucher, a.k.a. Grimes, the rapper Azealia Banks, and several news outlets because of their … Continued
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Tech NewsNews
Beyonce.com Lawsuit Reminds Us How Shitty the Web Is for Users With Visual Impairment
Mary Conner, a legally blind woman, filed a class-action lawsuit against Beyoncé Knowles’ entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment on Thursday alleging that the superstar’s official website isn’t accessible for visually impaired users. Conner is described in the lawsuit as having “no vision whatsoever” and alleged that she tried a number of times to visit and complete … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Researcher Who Said He Hacked iPhone X Face ID With a Printed Image Cancels Talk After Employer Shaming
Attendees of a major hacking conference in Singapore were supposed to hear about a mysterious, new method of hacking Apple’s Face ID, but the presenter scheduled to talk on the matter has withdrawn from the event after his employer asked him to cancel, according to Reuters. Apple debuted Face ID in September 2017 with the … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
German Politicians Hit With Unprecedented Leak of Private Information
On Thursday, authorities in Germany were made aware of an enormous leak of personal information belonging to artists, media figures, and politicians—including Chancellor Angela Merkel. The hack is being called the “biggest data dump” in German history and appears to contain a treasure trove of information that could be used for identity theft. Early reports … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech News
Microsoft Starts Hitting Mute on Cortana’s Annoying Windows 10 Setup Voiceover
While many Windows 10 users may have never encountered this, during setup, Windows 10 has an annoying feature where Cortana speaks up in an attempt to verbally guide you through your installation. However, if you’re someone like an IT pro (or a friendly neighborhood tech reviewer) who regularly has to wipe and configure a bunch … Continued
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Tech NewsCES 2019 Is Coming—Here’s What to Expect
The glittery ball has dropped, New Year’s resolutions have been made, and that means it’s time for the world’s biggest tech companies, startups, journalists, and random celebrities to swarm upon Las Vegas for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. It’s a weeklong showcase of every gadget you could ever dream of, spread out across a sprawling … Continued
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Tech NewsFirsts Week
Animal Teeth, Wood, and Porcelain: How the First Dentures Were Made
The human body is resilient, but not every part is replaceable internally. As a result, people are always on the lookout for better methods of transplant and prosthesis, which we’ve harnessed as medical tools since ancient times, particularly in our mouths. After thousands of years of attempts, dental science has recently managed to replace human … Continued
By Janet Burns -
Tech News
Early Predictions of the Internet Date Back to 19th Century Sci-Fi
Science fiction writers are professional future-dreamers, imagining worlds far beyond their own. With technology advancing at astronomical rates, real life feels more and more like sci-fi every day (for better or worse). So it’s fun to look back at those writers who, decades and even centuries ago, imagined what life would be like now—and some … Continued